Matatirtha

In ancient times, on the shore of a pond at the foot of the western hill of the Kathmandu Valley, shepherds used to come every day to graze their cattle and goats. They would sit there, eat their snacks and sing songs.

Once, a motherless orphan shepherd, in deep remembrance of his late mother, reverently offered a piece of bread into the water of that pond before eating his snack.

Suddenly, from the water of the pond his late mother's hand emerged, took the bread offered by her son, and vanished within the water. Having had the direct vision and affection of his mother, the shepherd was overwhelmed with emotion.

Seeing this miraculous event, when the other shepherds too offered bread into the pond, they began to see the forms of their own departed mothers. But those whose mothers were still alive could see no form at all.

Understanding the glory of this place of pilgrimage, the great sage Nemuni declared the day of the new moon of the dark fortnight of Baishakh as 'Mother's Honour Day', and named that pond 'Matatirtha'. From that very time, every year on the day of Matatirtha Aunsi, it has been the tradition for those without mothers to come to this pond and offer tarpan, shraddha and pindadaan in gratitude to their mothers.